Caritas

MOTHERS ARE PRECIOUS GIFTS FROM ON HIGH!

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Beloved Friends and Colleagues

  1. Today, in the 56 dioceses of the Catholic Church in Nigeria, the Catholic Women Organization (CWO),  is celebrating its annual feast of the ‘Mothering Sunday’, which ought to have been celebrated but for the Lenten activities on the 25th of March 2022, re-echoing the feast of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgen Mary by Angel Gabriel for the birth of Jesus, as the Lord and Master of the Universe and the Saviour of mankind .Today we salute all mothers, alive or dead!
  1. For a good number of us, today’s event evokes in us a not-too good -an emotion. A good number of us, did not know their mothers, while a good number have lost their mothers.  A good number of our mothers who have died, did so in very painful circumstances.  They left us when we were unable to help them. What is fresh in our memories today, is their exit from this world. The pains they had to endure, the deprivations, and the sickness or accidents that sniffed life out of them, all these leave us today sobbing and devasted. How we wished that our mothers were there for us today. But they are gone for good; their leaving was like an annihilation. Mama, please rest in peace!
  1. Yet, some of us have the fortune that their mothers are alive and healthy today. What a grace? What a great fortune? But do you realize how fortunate you are today, that your beloved mother is alive and healthy? Or are you in loggerheads with her, that her being alive and healthy do not mean much to you? Perhaps because she does not get well with your wife or children; or she does not seem to love you like she does with your other siblings;  or you do not just fancy her ways?; she gets on your nerves each time you encounter her, and she behaves as if you did not belong to her children? Your mother is simply impossible?
  1. Perhaps your mother is alive and sick today, making all impossible demands on you, allowing you no rest and peace. Her upkeep and maintenance have eaten up all the family savings and she is not getting any better? She is simply becoming a burden to the family. Or she is getting too old and has turned to be behaving like a child; getting more fastidious, -unable to be pleased, cantankerous and nagging. She can hardly stay with anybody. She does not visit any of her daughters and much less her sons. In fact, the whole family would like to heave a sigh of relief, if she was not there.
  1. Yes, one of the scenarios painted above might be true of your situation. Or you may have had another experience not captured in our descriptions. Yet in all that were, something was glaringly evident namely you have or have had a mother.  Or you are a mother yourself. We would not have been, if we had no mothers.  A motherless baby does not exist anywhere in the world. We are because we have mothers; and mothers exist because they have children, born or adopted.
  1. Beloved Friends, if you have the misfortune of having lost your mother; grieve for her loss and pray for her peaceful and happy repose in the bosom of the Father in paradise. If you have one, who is alive and sickly, spend your time and resources as much as you can to take care of her today; you would regret in bitter tears and pains thereafter if you did not care to do the needful today.  But if your mother is alive and healthy today, but permanently at loggerheads with you and your biological family; nagging you every day and not being appreciative of your little contributions, then you have a huge task in your hands. You cannot reasonably shy away from your duties, not matter the points in your favour.  Your present or future wife would never become your mother. Your mother, even in her seemingly stubbornness and troublesomeness’ is unique and un-repeatable.  And she carried you in her womb for 9 months inspite of yourself. And you too, are not as perfect as you think of yourself. Posterity will judge all of us!
  1. Yes, the good guy and the awesome lady, who has a wonderful mother, from a loving and caring family, today is your day. Your mother is your treasure; cherish her and wish her well. Teach your husband and children to do the same.  Our mothers are precious treasures, given to us by God himself. We wish them well today and always, and pray for their good health of mind and body as well as long life in the midst of love and life in the one and only family from which we have come- the family that knows peace and lives in love!

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